Holidays in Tajikistan

Understanding Tajikistan

Climate

Mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in the Pamir Mountains

Terrain

The Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate Tajikistan's landscape The western Fergana Valley is in north, and the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys are in the southwest

The country's lowest point is at Syr Darya 300 m, and it's highest point is at Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

History

The region covering today's Tajikistan was part the of Persian empires for much of its history This region has been an important place for flourishing Persian culture and language

In recent history, Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a five-year civil war since it gained independence from the USSR in 1991 A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997 and implemented in 2000 The central government's less than total control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise and forge alliances among factions Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace

Talking in Tajikistan

Tajik, closely related to Persian and mutually intelligible with it, is the primary and historical language of Tajikistan Due to Soviet promotion of Russian, many older Tajiks speak fluent Russian, while among the younger generations, the most fluent in Russian are found in the cities and north Some people use Russian as their language Russian is widely used in government, which means that some government officials, such as policemen may speak it English, however is virtually non-existant

Buying stuff in Tajikistan

Somoni TJS, Tajik: cомонӣ is the national currency As of December, 2009, US$ 1 roughly equals to 438 somoni, while € 1 equals to 660 somoni

• Traditional Tajik padded coats Comfortable and perfect for the colder weather in the mountains The ensemble can be completed with a hat and sash
• Mercedes Benz approx $US7000 cars and Land Cruisers from Dushanbe's Sunday Car Market Also available: Russian cars, jeeps, minivans, and an assortment of other models
• Vodka Ruski Standard is the best one by far
• Rugs and carpets The good ones are imported from Afghanistan or Uzbekistan

Food in Tajikistan is a cross between that of Central Asia and that of Afghaistan & Pakistan along with a bit of Russian influence If you like Russian food, you will probably have a good culinary experience If you find Russian food bland, you may have a rough time here

Food and eating in Tajikistan

• Plov The national dish is made with rice, beef or mutton, and carrots
• Sambusa baked pastries
• Shashlik shish-kebab Grilled-on-coal fish, liver, chicken, mutton and beef
• Tushbera souplike ravioli, pasta with meat in
• Ugro soup handmade spaghetti soup served with cheese cream and basilic
• Jiz-biz fired freshcut lamb or mutton on its own juice
• Dolma steamed rolls with grape leafs and meat inside, served with sour cream and red pepper
• Mantu steamed pasta with meat inside, served with sour cream and fried onions
• Shurbo fresh vegetable soup with lamb or beef, served with green onion and basilic
• Many types of bread like chappoti, kulcha, nan, fatir, qalama etc
• Damlama - like English stew, steamed lamb or beef with vegetables in its own juice
• Khash - soup with sheeps' legs and arms, joints and tendons

Take care with street food and do NOT eat unwashed vegetables and fruits It's best to soak them in distilled water and cook thoroughly

Now situation is different National cuisine is becoming more popular in Tajikistan, such as Shurpo, Oshi Palov, Mantu, Sambusa and etc

Drinking in Tajikistan

• Green tea Tajiks customarily pour a small amount out three times and return it to the pot
• Compote A distilled fruit punch

Accommodation in Tajikistan

Sleeping options in Tajikistan include the following:

Hotels In Dushanbe, there are a small number of large hotels The Hyatt Regency just built recently and opens doors in March 2009 Another one of big hotels is "Tajikistan" recently renovated, located in the central city Most are ex-Soviet era and tend to be over priced and in poor condition There are a couple of newly built hotels offering western standards of accommodation for around from $US70 to $US220 per room

MSDSP Guesthouses,

The Aga Khan's Mountain Societies Development Support Programme has a network of guesthouses in places like Kalaikhum and Khorog, offering a good standard of accommodation Full board is around $US40 per person

Formal Homestays

The French NGO ACTED is establishing a network of Homestays in the Pamir region, around Murgab, For around $US10 per person per night you get a comfortable bed in a family home The facilities are basic, ie no running water and an outside toilet, but guests can expect comfortable clean rooms, good local food, and a very warm welcome

Independent Guesthouses

In Dushanbe, Khorog, and Murghab there are a small but growing number of independent guesthouses These are similar in standard and price to the ACTED homestays

Online Accommodation couchsurfing

Many cities of Tajikistan offer free accommodation in homestays through the couchsurfingcom

Working in Tajikistan

At embassies, NGOs 3, some hotels A few hundred expatriates live in Dushanbe Several ads each week in the electronic newsletter WhatsOnInDushanbe For investors, cf 4 and similar publications

Habitat for Humanity-Tajikistan, 5, constructs homes for needy, low-income families in addition to completing many unfinished Soviet-era homes and apartment blocks, provides seismic retrofits, works to provide sanitary water, and more Once or twice a year, volunteer trips through HFH "Global Village" program, 6 are offered, entailing 2 weeks of building houses combined with a few days of sightseeing

Cities in Tajikistan